Arizona Shooting of Gabrielle Giffords: Should Gun Control Laws Be Tightened?

The shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords at a Tucson supermarket has drawn attention to the gun control laws in Arizona, which are relatively lenient when compared with other parts of the country.

The state does not require a permit to conceal or carry a weapon and guns are allowed in most public buildings. Alleged shooter Jared Lee Loughner, 22, was able to buy the gun he used to shoot Giffords and several others Saturday from a sporting goods store after passing an instant background check.

Giffords herself had been opposed to gun control and even owned a Glock handgun similar to the weapon that was used on her. But she had become increasingly critical of the highly charged political debates that have inflamed her district for months.

Last year, she blasted Sarah Palin for including the district in her "crosshairs" ad, saying "when people do that they've got to realize that there are consequences to that action."